In celebration of the 65th anniversary of Topps baseball cards, my collection is going to be the subject of this year-long series.
Shortly after starting my obsession in 1971, the goal was to have at least one Topps card from every year.
Although the 1952 set is considered to be the first released by Topps, the company issued two series that was a part of the game a year earlier.
One of my favorite cards in my entire collection is the 1968 Mickey Mantle, which is my only vintage card of the New York Yankees slugger.
This card isn’t the final one of his career even though it was his final season. Because of his retirement before the 1969 season, that card would be his last.
There are so many Mantle stories out there. My tale is related to this card is that it was acquired in a trade for among other things a 1972 Steve Garvey.
In 1968, Mantle was an American League All-Star for the 16th time in his 18-year career. The switch-hitting slugger would hit 18 homers, knock in 54 runs and batted .237 for the Yankees as they finished fifth in the standings.
Mantle homered against eight of the nine teams in the league that summer with Baltimore being the only squad that didn’t give up a long ball.
The California Angels and the Minnesota Twins were his favorite teams as he hit four off of each. Minnesota’s Jim Merritt surrendered three of the blasts.
Mantle’s 536th and last was off Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox.
The homer that moved Mantle into third on baseball’s all-time list came against Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 20.
In an Associated Press article by Mike Bryson published in the Reading (Pa.) Eagle, Mantle described his at bat.
“I got the feeling McLain wanted me to hit it,” said Mantle, who was 36 when he passed Jimmy Foxx on the homer list. “It’s got to be one of the best thrills I’ve had in baseball.”
At that time, Babe Ruth had 714 and he was followed by Willie Mays with 585. Mantle’s total is currently 18th best overall, but it’s at the top among switch-hitters.
The day Mantle passed Foxx was also when McLain earned his 31st victory of the 1968 season for the Tigers as they went on to win the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals. He would also be named the AL’s Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winner with a 31-6 mark.
The Legacy of No. 7
Mantle is one of the most decorated players in the history of baseball. He was a member of seven world championship teams, was the AL’s Most Valuable Player three times, won the triple crown in 1956 and led the league in homers three other times. He even earned a Gold Glove in 1962.
His No. 7 was retired by the Yankees in 1969 and in 1974 he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.